Camelot (video game)
Encyclopedia
Camelot is an 8-bit
computer game written by Tony Oakden and published in the UK in 1989/90 for the BBC Micro
and Acorn Electron
. The game was first published by Superior Software
and Acornsoft
as part of the Play it Again Sam 9 compilation in 1989 and was subsequently re-published as a standalone title in 1990 by Superior Software
and Blue Ribbon
.
castle and the player also has a set amount of energy which runs down when in contact with enemy sprites or hazards.
The backstory given in the cassette inlay indicates that the player (as the King) has been desposed from the throne for mismanaging the kingdom. To convince the people that the king deserves another chance to return to throne again, the player must fight their way through the castle and surrounding terrain, facing various enemies such as withces, warlocks and soldiers. To complete the quest, 3000 points are needed, which can be obtained by finding six bags of gold, scattered around the game. Each bag is worth 450 points, although the player can gain extra points by killing the enemy sprites.
The player has four-way directional controls, left, right, up and down (for climbing ladders) and there are also separate keys for jump, firing a fireball, picking up objects and using a spell book. Energy can be replenished by finding hearts hidden in caskets, although some caskets conatin daemons instead, which drain the player's energy. The game does have a time limit, but extra time is gained by openening doors and solving puzzles, so the player must work out a logical sequence of puzzle-solving such that the clock does not run down to zero.
The game is considered quite challenging, although a small program has been written by C.J. Richardson which enables POKEs for various cheat modes such as infinite time and energy, big jumps and climb anywhere.
Crispin Boylan's review of Camelot praises the graphics as "good" and the colours as "nice and bright" however he also states that the game's plot is "a bit thin on the ground" and the animation is not really up the standard of similar titles. He also notes that the game has some "beeps" but that there is no in-game music.
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
computer game written by Tony Oakden and published in the UK in 1989/90 for the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
and Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
. The game was first published by Superior Software
Superior Software
Superior Software is a video game publisher. It was established in 1982 by Richard Hanson and John Dyson, two graduates of the University of Leeds, England...
and Acornsoft
Acornsoft
Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers Ltd, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, they also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and utility packages - these included ROM-based word...
as part of the Play it Again Sam 9 compilation in 1989 and was subsequently re-published as a standalone title in 1990 by Superior Software
Superior Software
Superior Software is a video game publisher. It was established in 1982 by Richard Hanson and John Dyson, two graduates of the University of Leeds, England...
and Blue Ribbon
Blue Ribbon (software house)
Blue Ribbon was the budget computer software publishing label of CDS Micro Systems.The label launched in 1985 mostly made up of games from the MRM Software back catalogue. MRM had been a label producing games for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. Blue Ribbon reissued these and also converted them...
.
Description
The game has some elements in common with an earlier BBC/Electron title, Citadel. Notably, Camelot is also a platform adventure game set in a large flip-screenFlip-screen
In video games, flip-screen is a principle whereby the playing environment is divided into single-screen portions...
castle and the player also has a set amount of energy which runs down when in contact with enemy sprites or hazards.
The backstory given in the cassette inlay indicates that the player (as the King) has been desposed from the throne for mismanaging the kingdom. To convince the people that the king deserves another chance to return to throne again, the player must fight their way through the castle and surrounding terrain, facing various enemies such as withces, warlocks and soldiers. To complete the quest, 3000 points are needed, which can be obtained by finding six bags of gold, scattered around the game. Each bag is worth 450 points, although the player can gain extra points by killing the enemy sprites.
The player has four-way directional controls, left, right, up and down (for climbing ladders) and there are also separate keys for jump, firing a fireball, picking up objects and using a spell book. Energy can be replenished by finding hearts hidden in caskets, although some caskets conatin daemons instead, which drain the player's energy. The game does have a time limit, but extra time is gained by openening doors and solving puzzles, so the player must work out a logical sequence of puzzle-solving such that the clock does not run down to zero.
The game is considered quite challenging, although a small program has been written by C.J. Richardson which enables POKEs for various cheat modes such as infinite time and energy, big jumps and climb anywhere.
Critical reception
Coming out towards the tail end of the 8-bit Acorn Computers commercial era, the game has had relatively limited exposure compared for example to the "more famous" Citadel which was released four years earlier.Crispin Boylan's review of Camelot praises the graphics as "good" and the colours as "nice and bright" however he also states that the game's plot is "a bit thin on the ground" and the animation is not really up the standard of similar titles. He also notes that the game has some "beeps" but that there is no in-game music.